Response to ‘All Means All’ Author

Oh my goodness where to begin with the latest letter writer in last week’s Forum? It must be difficult to be so angry at so many different groups at the same time in the name of...actually I couldn't tell what he was in favor of. And I can't really address all of his points in just 300 words but I can explain “Question is, who paid to have these signs of assumption (We Believe) printed and distributed all over town?” The answer to the first part is that I paid for them. I saw a similar poster by the artist at an event in Oakland and I contacted them about purchasing some for friends in Castro Valley. It was extraordinarily popular, and to cover the demand I kept ordering more, hundreds at a time. The answer to “who distributed them?” is that distribution wasn't necessary. Everyone who has one at their home or at their business picked up their own poster. They wanted them displayed so that their neighbors and customers knew that the people in that home or business felt a certain way about certain issues. They are the “WE” referenced in the poster. And finally, the author's last point about excluding one group. True enough, we excluded those that dislike diversity, those that embrace toxic masculinity, science deniers, xenophobes, homophobes and whiny persecution-complex anger filled loons. Go make your own poster to cover those things. You have our permission to use the word “WE” on the poster of what you and people like you believe, we won't get butt hurt. We just won't put that poster in our window. To everyone else, I still have quite a few of the “We Believe” posters available, if you want one for your home or business, you can easily find me on social media.  

–Billy Bradford, Castro Valley